I kind of had a feeling that the Lions would claim Jerome Murphy after the Saints released him. I just didn't think they'd release Kevin Barnes. With Drayton Florence having what appears to be a long term injury, why not just IR Florence and keep Barnes with Murphy?

I also don't like that they released Stefon Green from the PS. I thought he did some decent things in the pre-season. All that said, I'll trust they know MUCH, MUCH more than I do about the players, and are doing what's best for the team.

Finally.

_________________

September 18th, 2012, 9:15 pm

thelomasbrowns

Pro Bowl Player

Joined: August 24th, 2010, 9:54 pmPosts: 2482

Re: Killer's Korner

m2karateman wrote:

I kind of had a feeling that the Lions would claim Jerome Murphy after the Saints released him. I just didn't think they'd release Kevin Barnes. With Drayton Florence having what appears to be a long term injury, why not just IR Florence and keep Barnes with Murphy?

I also don't like that they released Stefon Green from the PS. I thought he did some decent things in the pre-season. All that said, I'll trust they know MUCH, MUCH more than I do about the players, and are doing what's best for the team.

If Barnes couldn't get on the field before Jonte Green, he must've been a lost cause.

_________________Jim Caldwell, on whether Jim Harbaugh is stealing his thunder: "Me? I don't have any thunder."

September 18th, 2012, 9:40 pm

kdsberman

Team MVP

Joined: February 20th, 2007, 10:51 pmPosts: 3422Location: Saginaw, MI

Re: Killer's Korner

thelomasbrowns wrote:

m2karateman wrote:

I kind of had a feeling that the Lions would claim Jerome Murphy after the Saints released him. I just didn't think they'd release Kevin Barnes. With Drayton Florence having what appears to be a long term injury, why not just IR Florence and keep Barnes with Murphy?

I also don't like that they released Stefon Green from the PS. I thought he did some decent things in the pre-season. All that said, I'll trust they know MUCH, MUCH more than I do about the players, and are doing what's best for the team.

If Barnes couldn't get on the field before Jonte Green, he must've been a lost cause.

I kind of had a feeling that the Lions would claim Jerome Murphy after the Saints released him. I just didn't think they'd release Kevin Barnes. With Drayton Florence having what appears to be a long term injury, why not just IR Florence and keep Barnes with Murphy?

I also don't like that they released Stefon Green from the PS. I thought he did some decent things in the pre-season. All that said, I'll trust they know MUCH, MUCH more than I do about the players, and are doing what's best for the team.

If Barnes couldn't get on the field before Jonte Green, he must've been a lost cause.

Didnt we burn a draft pick on Barnes?

It was a conditional, and he didn't meet the terms, so they didn't lose the pick.

September 18th, 2012, 11:08 pm

TheRealWags

Modmin Dude

Joined: December 31st, 2004, 9:55 amPosts: 12296

Re: Killer's Korner

PFT wrote:

Lions getting healthier, but Delmas still not practicingPosted by Michael David Smith on September 19, 2012, 12:44 PM EDT

The Lions only had one of their four starters in the secondary in Sunday’s loss to the 49ers, and had only one of their top three running backs as well. But they’re starting to get healthier.

Both starting cornerbacks, Chris Houston and Bill Bentley, were back at practice today after missing last week. Houston has been absent since spraining his ankle in the preseason, and Bentley has been absent since suffering a concussion in Week One.

However, the Lions’ best defensive back, safety Louis Delmas, is still not practicing while he recovers from a knee injury. With each passing week Delmas’s bum knee becomes a bigger concern: Although the Lions have largely downplayed the severity of his knee problems, he missed the last five games of the regular season last year, missed the entire preseason this year, has missed the first two games of this season and appears set to miss another game this week.

Also back to work for the Lions is running back Mikel Leshoure, who still hasn’t played a single game in his NFL career after he missed all of his rookie season last year with a torn Achilles and was suspended two games to start this year for two marijuana arrests. Leshoure is splitting the first-team reps with Kevin Smith in practice. Jahvid Best, who was the Lions’ starting running back when healthy last year, will be out at least another four weeks with the concussion issues that cut short his 2011 season.

Lions receiver Calvin Johnson, tight end Tony Scheffler, linebacker Travis Lewis, cornerback Drayton Florence and defensive tackle Corey Williams all sat out practice as well. The Lions have rested Johnson in practice because of a foot injury, but it does not seem to be serious.

I'm starting to wonder why they didn't put Delmas on PUP or the new IR

_________________

Quote:

Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right....

September 19th, 2012, 2:46 pm

regularjoe12

Off. Coordinator – Joe Lombardi

Joined: March 30th, 2006, 12:48 amPosts: 3987Location: Davison Mi

Re: Killer's Korner

Best out for 4 more weeks... are we just keeping him to be nice and let him have the NFL insurance? dude is DONE.

And since the article mentions M.L.'s MJ possesion charge it got me thinking...any word on when we can expect Fairly's susspension? Cuz he's GOING to get one...

_________________2013 Lionbacker Fantasy Football Champion

September 19th, 2012, 2:56 pm

m2karateman

RIP Killer

Joined: October 20th, 2004, 4:16 pmPosts: 10066Location: Where ever I'm at now

Re: Killer's Korner

Shotty wrote:

m2karateman wrote:

I kind of had a feeling that the Lions would claim Jerome Murphy after the Saints released him. I just didn't think they'd release Kevin Barnes. With Drayton Florence having what appears to be a long term injury, why not just IR Florence and keep Barnes with Murphy?

I also don't like that they released Stefon Green from the PS. I thought he did some decent things in the pre-season. All that said, I'll trust they know MUCH, MUCH more than I do about the players, and are doing what's best for the team.

Finally.

Finally what? Oh that's right, you NEVER question what decisions they make in Allen Park.

Oh wait....that's not right either, is it?

_________________I will not put on blinders when it comes to our QBs performances.

September 19th, 2012, 4:06 pm

Shotty

Millen Draft Pick - Epic Bust

Joined: July 3rd, 2012, 2:06 amPosts: 717

Re: Killer's Korner

m2karateman wrote:

Shotty wrote:

m2karateman wrote:

I kind of had a feeling that the Lions would claim Jerome Murphy after the Saints released him. I just didn't think they'd release Kevin Barnes. With Drayton Florence having what appears to be a long term injury, why not just IR Florence and keep Barnes with Murphy?

I also don't like that they released Stefon Green from the PS. I thought he did some decent things in the pre-season. All that said, I'll trust they know MUCH, MUCH more than I do about the players, and are doing what's best for the team.

Finally.

Finally what? Oh that's right, you NEVER question what decisions they make in Allen Park.

Oh wait....that's not right either, is it?

No, you've lately hinted towards thinking the front office has no clue of how to handle most contracts and other things, and I accept the fact that their jobs are to find out how to improve a football team, which includes hours upon hours of study and a great understanding of building a team while others just make judgments off of simple observations.

_________________

September 19th, 2012, 4:17 pm

kdsberman

Team MVP

Joined: February 20th, 2007, 10:51 pmPosts: 3422Location: Saginaw, MI

Re: Killer's Korner

Shotty wrote:

m2karateman wrote:

Shotty wrote:

m2karateman wrote:

I kind of had a feeling that the Lions would claim Jerome Murphy after the Saints released him. I just didn't think they'd release Kevin Barnes. With Drayton Florence having what appears to be a long term injury, why not just IR Florence and keep Barnes with Murphy?

I also don't like that they released Stefon Green from the PS. I thought he did some decent things in the pre-season. All that said, I'll trust they know MUCH, MUCH more than I do about the players, and are doing what's best for the team.

Finally.

Finally what? Oh that's right, you NEVER question what decisions they make in Allen Park.

Oh wait....that's not right either, is it?

No, you've lately hinted towards thinking the front office has no clue of how to handle most contracts and other things, and I accept the fact that their jobs are to find out how to improve a football team, which includes hours upon hours of study and a great understanding of building a team while others just make judgments off of simple observations.

Joined: October 20th, 2004, 4:16 pmPosts: 10066Location: Where ever I'm at now

Re: Killer's Korner

kdsberman wrote:

Shotty wrote:

No, you've lately hinted towards thinking the front office has no clue of how to handle most contracts and other things, and I accept the fact that their jobs are to find out how to improve a football team, which includes hours upon hours of study and a great understanding of building a team while others just make judgments off of simple observations.

Uh Shotty....you MIGHT be thinking of Wjb, not M2k.

Well, to be perfectly honest kds, I have questioned some moves by the front office and coaching staff in why they retained some players, and released others. However, when one makes a statement like this:

Shotty wrote:

Just another reason Avril has to go. We could use $10 million on MUCH more important things. Oh, and Willie Young will be good enough to replace him, and may even be better for a much cheaper price.

I don't think they should be throwing stones. EVERY fan questions moves on occasion, whether it be a draft pick, a FA signing or a player release. Some just get a little more worked up than others.

_________________I will not put on blinders when it comes to our QBs performances.

Anticipation is running high this week for the debut of Detroit Lions running back Mikel Leshoure, who has completed a two-game NFL suspension on top of a year-long recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon.

But what exactly is everyone so excited about? Leshoure played in two preseason games this summer but hasn't appeared in a game that counts since December 2010. Does anyone really know what the Lions have here, especially considering how serious his injury was last summer?

I don't think there is any big mystery here. The Lions' running game has underperformed for so long that Leshoure will be a hero if he simply does what any above-average running back does: Get some yards on his own.

I don't want to slight current starter Kevin Smith, who has provided a valuable service to the team since returning midway through 2011. He is a good receiver and will get most of the yards that are blocked for him.

But as the chart shows, Smith hasn't really done much beyond that this season. He has averaged one yard per carry after first contact, according to ESPN's Stats & Information, ranking him No. 43 among 46 qualified running backs. I've tried to include a cross-section of familiar names in the chart to give you a sense for what other running backs have achieved in this area.

Meanwhile, according to Pro Football Focus, Smith has forced one missed tackle this season. That figure ties him for No. 31 among 40 qualified runners.

If Leshoure is what the Lions thought he was after making him a second-round draft choice in 2011, he'll improve upon those numbers over time. He will not only gain the yardage the Lions' blocking scheme delivers him, but he'll also break some tackles and/or make defenders miss.

That doesn't mean he'll average 100 yards per game or 5.0 yards per carry. It just means that once he gets his legs underneath him, Leshoure will get his and then some. That alone would be an improvement for the Lions.

After the Detroit Lions' 44-41 loss to the Tennessee Titans, here are three issues that merit further examination:

1. ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski has forgotten more football than most of us will ever know. So it's worth noting that he suggested Monday morning on ESPN Radio that quarterback Shaun Hill's footwork implied an intentional quarterback sneak on the game's final play. That would differ from the narrative provided by coach Jim Schwartz, who said center Dominic Raiola erroneously snapped the ball on a play the Lions were trying to draw the Titans offside. I strongly believe Schwartz is telling the truth. (And I don't fault him for "calling out" Raiola. This is a man's game. No one needs to be protected.) If the Lions hoped to entice a penalty, Hill's footwork would have to mimic a real play. It's more likely that Hill was faking the footwork for a sneak to add weight to the possibility. If you saw Hill and Raiola interacting afterwards, it sure appeared they were not on the same page. I don't think there are any conspiracies here. The Lions got too cute and paid for it. If anything, an argument could have been made to call a real quarterback sneak. Both Dean Oliver of ESPN Stats & Information and Brian Burke of NFL Advanced Stats have pointed out the Lions had at least an equal, if not better, chance of winning if they had tried to convert the fourth-and-1 than if they had attempted a game-tying field goal, as they planned.

2. We noted in Sunday's post on replacement officiating gaffes at the Metrodome that other NFC North games had been impacted as well. But at that moment I didn't realize how bad it got at LP Field. As several writers have already noted, replacement officials, in essence, put the Titans in field goal range for their eventual game-winning kick in overtime by marking off 27 yards, instead of 15, after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against linebacker Stephen Tulloch. Sports Illustrated's Peter King theorized that referee Gerald Wright marked off the penalty from the Lions' 44-yard line instead of the Titans' 44, which was actually the original line of scrimmage. So instead of taking over at the Lions' 41-yard line, the Titans got the ball at the 29. Place-kicker Rob Bironas, who had already missed two field goals in the game, eventually was put in place to boot an easy 26-yarder. The Lions could have avoided the entire mess if Tulloch didn't commit the penalty, but it's a basic expectation of any referee to maintain an accurate line of scrimmage.

3. Let's not sugarcoat this. The Lions were inexcusably sloppy and undisciplined Sunday -- and not just on the final play. They committed 10 penalties, were successfully targeted on a gadget punt return and became the first team in NFL history to allow five touchdowns of at least 60 yards. A tight end as big and as strong as Brandon Pettigrew should never allow the ball to be yanked from his hands by a cornerback, as Pettigrew did in the fourth quarter Sunday. We saw safety John Wendling take a poor angle and cornerback Jacob Lacey lose track of the ball on Nate Washington's 71-yard touchdown play. The list goes on. Said Jaworski: "Something is wrong there in the detail of coaching. Either they're not coaching it or the players are not listening."

And here is one issue I still don't get:

Was there any connection between Matthew Stafford's right leg injury, initially diagnosed as a muscle strain, and the Lions' decision to give the ball to running back Mikel Leshoure 16 times in the first half and target receiver Calvin Johnson only twice? The Lions trailed 20-9 at that point but outscored the Titans 32-24 afterwards. Were the Lions trying to manage Stafford's workload? After all, he said he suffered the injury last week in practice and felt it grab several times during Sunday's game. Or, were the Lions purposefully running the ball to force the Titans into more favorable coverages against Johnson later in the game? If that were the case, it might have worked. Johnson was targeted 12 times and caught nine passes after halftime. Did the running "loosen it up" for the Lions? Or did they simply get more aggressive after halftime? I'm not sure.

In Some Cases Players not having the Talent to Compete at the position they play.

Combine all 3 and you get Losing games you should win by a wide margin.

Yay Mediocrity.

September 24th, 2012, 4:09 pm

m2karateman

RIP Killer

Joined: October 20th, 2004, 4:16 pmPosts: 10066Location: Where ever I'm at now

Re: Killer's Korner

DJ-B wrote:

Both.

In Some Cases bad Coaching.

In Some Cases Players making Dumb Mistakes.

In Some Cases Players not having the Talent to Compete at the position they play.

Combine all 3 and you get Losing games you should win by a wide margin.

Yay Mediocrity.

+1

There is absolutely some very bad coaching going on. But you can't blame the coaches for something stupid like Pettigrew allowing himself to be stripped of the ball so easily, poor angles in coverage, or penalties on the field.

HOWEVER...I full blame Schwartz for the debacle at the end of that game, not Raiola. Yes, Dom screwed up...BIG TIME! But once again, Schwartz didn't just do what he should have done and tied that game. No, like the Jets game a couple seasons ago, he decided to be a smart@ss and it bit him in the butt.

He should have just trotted out the FG unit and kicked the damn thing. Schwartz f***ed up, pure and simple.

_________________I will not put on blinders when it comes to our QBs performances.

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford isn't off to a bad start, just not the one everyone expected.

Stafford is still putting up monster yardage numbers, and his completion percentage is a couple points higher than last season when he set the franchise record in that department. But he is down significantly in two areas.

Last season, Stafford became just the seventh quarterback in NFL history to throw for 40 touchdowns, tossing 41 scores. Through four games this season, he has just three, and is coming off a performance where he didn't throw a touchdown pass for the first time in 22 games. The last time that happened was the 2010 season-opener against the Bears, where he was forced from the game in the first half with a shoulder injury.

The other number impacting the perception of Stafford is wins. The Lions are 1-3, a season after starting 5-0 and qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in 12 years.

This offseason, we watched as list after list came out ranking Stafford between the 7th and 10th best quarterback in the NFL. People wondered how six or more QBs could be better than a guy who threw for more than 5,000 yards and 41 scores.

ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski had Stafford rated lower than almost anyone, placing the Lions signal-caller at 14th back in June. In his most recent revision to his rankings, Jaworski dropped Stafford another spot while noting a mechanical flaw he spotted on film.

When I look at Detroit, I see an enigma. There is a lot of talent, but they appear to be floundering. I'm not sure they know what they want to do with the football. And if I sense that while just looking at the tape, what do you think Stafford feels? Their running game is nonexistent. Their special teams are a disaster -- there doesn't seem to be any continuity from a season ago. For his part, Stafford's mechanics seem to slip at times. He has a tendency to drop his elbow, causing his throws to sail and resulting in a few INTs. He needs to address that while the Lions as a whole address the bigger picture problems.